


Watch It Slip Away

by russianmango



Series: 30 in 30 [21]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Gen, Pittsburgh Penguins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-21
Updated: 2013-03-21
Packaged: 2017-12-06 02:33:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/730585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/russianmango/pseuds/russianmango
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Sunset: Sid contemplates playing during the lockout.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Watch It Slip Away

Sid knew that there was going to be a lockout before it happened. He wasn’t stupid enough to think the owners would just deal with their problems right away.  And then people started leaving. It was no surprise when most of the Russians boarded a plane to play back home, but that didn’t really mean much. Ask any of them and they were, in some way, homesick.

But other players started leaving, too. They were going to Russia, Switzerland, wherever they were needed, as long as they could play. Sid had his offers, a pick of pretty much any team for whatever price he demanded. But he didn’t move.

He was training every day, both physically and mentally – the addition of some cognitive exercises his neurologist got him into that he never really stopped doing – as he prepared for the start of the season. He attended the meetings at first, listened to the concerns and comments of his fellow PA members, as well as those from the league. None of it was refreshing.

Most nights, Sid would stare off his balcony or from his porch and just watch as the bright sky faded blissfully into dusk. It was something he did as a kid that calmed him down when nothing else would.

He thought it had something to do with his uncle telling him stories about the sunset being vibes of positive energy, taking away all the problems as the sun went down. ‘Why else would something like that be so beautiful?’ Back then, Sid used to count on the colours to take away his pain. It helped him get thought the nights where his parents would fight, days when he was bullied by his teammates or classmates, and even helped him through the concussions.

Thinking of some weird energy-beam in the sky helped him feel better, but as the days went on and the nights got colder… the sunsets got shorter. Summer was always hard for Sid because there was nothing to do, but in the winter he’s always had hockey so it didn’t matter if the sunset wasn’t there to take it away.

Now, there was no hockey. Sid didn’t want to leave home, but the quickly faded sunsets were just reminders that his pain wasn’t just going to slip away. The season wasn’t going to just fix itself and the more time went on, the more Sid thought about his options.

He had only ever played for Pittsburgh. Going to a different team, no matter the reason, would feel like cheating on the Penguins. He thought that was why he hadn’t just waltzed into some random dressing room, pretending to be happy he was there just so he can play hockey. It’s something he’d discussed only with Jonathan, because Jon understood him, even if he didn’t really feel the same way.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to play – he wanted more than anything to play, but his life wasn’t just hockey anymore. His life was the Penguins. He was the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins and he couldn’t bring himself to tarnish that. His loyalty stood where the patch stared down at him from his wall. His only other team is Canada and he planned to keep it that way.

Not that there were a lot of options for him, though. In order to play, he’d have to fork over some ridiculous amount of money in case he got hurt.

He stared at the bottom of the horizon as the final streak of colour faded into darkness filled with tiny specks. He followed the cloud of breath he exhaled into the cold surrounding him and gazed at the stars as it dissipated, just like the sun.

Sid tried not to think about the season being cancelled in full, but it was hard not to get down when there was a full sky just glaring back at you and all you can do is watch it happen.  Watch it slip right through your fingers.


End file.
